Commonwealth Games Consultation 6th April 2016

On Wednesday 6th April 2016, Athletics NI hosted a consultation with coaches and interested parties regarding preparation and planning for the the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The event, held at the Ramada Plaza Shaws Bridge in Belfast, was designed to help answer several pressing questions regarding both the selection policy and the pre-games preparation plans.

Director of Coaching and Athlete Development Tom Crick said, “When initially brainstorming ideas amongst our team it quickly became apparent that the timing and location of the next Commonwealth Games present some interesting challenges around the selection and support of athletes who wish to compete in the Gold Coast. Therefore, we decided that to ensure our policies are as fair and athlete friendly as possible we should hold an open consultation to help answer many of the questions that need to be addressed at this stage of the planning process. I also feel that involving coaches and interested parties early helps to improve the transparency of the planning process so everyone is aware of the constraints involved and can understand why decisions are being made.”

Athlete Development Lead Tom Reynolds said, “The consultation was a chance for the Athletics’ community to voice their opinions before important decisions around the 2018 Games are made. We had a good turn out on the day with many of the athletes and coaches hoping to be involved in Gold Coast in attendance.”

The attendees considered nine questions that can be viewed in the PDF of the slides used during the evening available below:

The next steps in the process will involve Athletics NI drawing up draft consideration standards and a nominations policy, which will then be presented to the feedback committee composed of individuals who attended the consultation. The final policy will be published later in 2016.